Toyota to begin sales of plug-in Prius hybrid in 2 years

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TOKYO, Dec. 14 Kyodo -
Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday began limited leasing of its plug-in Prius hybrid
and pledged to make it widely available to consumers at an ''affordable'' price
by the end of 2011 as it expands its lineup of eco-friendly cars, aiming to
outpace its global competitors.
With the addition of the plug-in hybrid, the world's biggest automaker is
striving to up the ante in competition against rivals such as Nissan Motor Co.
and General Motors Co. in the increasingly crowded race for green cars using
full or partial electricity as an alternative to conventional
gasoline-only-powered vehicles.
Toyota will initially lease to government and corporate clients about 600 units
-- including 230 in Japan, 150 in the United States and 200 in Europe -- of the
plug-in version of its best-selling gas-electric Prius hybrid.
The plug-in hybrid, which can be charged using household electricity, can
travel for short distances in electric mode using power generated by lithium
ion batteries. Once the battery power runs out, it can travel medium and long
distances as a conventional hybrid.
The vehicle can travel 23.4 kilometers as an electric vehicle on a single
charge and has fuel economy of around 57 km per liter, compared with the 38 km
per liter achieved by the existing Prius hybrid. With fully charged batteries
and with a full gasoline tank, it could travel around 1,400 km.
''In two years' time, we plan to begin sales at annual volume of several tens
of thousands of units at a price that even general consumers can reach,''
Toyota Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said at a press conference
in Tokyo.
On pricing, Uchiyamada said Toyota, as a mass producer, will likely offer a
plug-in hybrid lower than what is currently available in the United States
using a conversion kit, which costs about 1 million yen to turn a conventional
Toyota Prius into a plug-in version.
Since the plug-in hybrid is based on the third-generation Prius, which has a
starting price of 2.05 million yen in Japan and $22,400 in the United States,
consumers may be able to buy the plug-in hybrid at a price lower than 3.2
million yen.
By leasing beforehand, the automaker hopes to use client feedback to improve
the technology and later determine the exact prices of the plug-in hybrids for
marketing to the general public.
The plug-in hybrid, which seats five people, will have additional functions
that can help drivers by notifying them of the remaining cruising distance in
EV mode.
It will be Toyota's first vehicle installed with the rechargeable lithium ion
batteries, which are more compact, lightweight and powerful than nickel metal
hydride batteries that currently power most hybrids including Toyota's Prius
and Honda Motor Co.'s Insight.
Toyota, which plans to release a short-distance electric vehicle in 2012, views
the plug-in hybrid as the nearest, best option available in view of lingering
shortcomings in EVs like high costs, battery durability and lack of
infrastructure to recharge the cars.
''Toyota has developed the plug-in hybrids as the most realistic (option) in
promoting the use of electricity in general vehicles,'' Uchiyamada told
reporters. ''It's a car that wipes out concerns on EVs by minimizing the size
of batteries and cost increases.''
==Kyodo